In past Decembers, free streetcar rides came and went with the holiday season. This year there's no promotion behind them. Since Aug. 7, 2026, the OKC Streetcar has run with no fare at all, every day, as permanent policy.
That changes the shape of the season for anyone who lives near the Midtown platform. Downtown in December runs from early November through the end of January. Most of its biggest events now sit on one loop that costs nothing to ride and stops every 12 to 15 minutes. The tree lighting, the ice rink and Lights on Broadway are all on the same line, along a single route.
A Pilot That Kept Going
The change started as a test. On Dec. 5, 2025, the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority board approved a free-fare pilot set to run from Jan. 5 to July 5, 2026. In its January pilot announcement, EMBARK pointed out that free-fare periods during past Downtown in December seasons had already raised ridership. It also said the system had carried a record 288,517 riders in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025, while fares were still charged. The Oklahoman reported in July that the program had been extended past July 5 to Aug. 20.
The pilot's results outlasted its end date. According to the board's agenda memo, ridership rose by an average of 74% during the pilot. The board held off on a June 5 vote for 45 days to gather more information, then approved a resolution that removed single rides, day passes, 30-day passes and annual passes from the fare schedule. EMBARK's public announcement used a slightly different measure. It reported a 71% average month-over-month increase when January through June 2026 is compared with the same months of 2025.
EMBARK director Jesse Rush explained the reasoning in that announcement. "As our city continues to invest in projects and host major events coming to downtown Oklahoma City, the streetcar can improve downtown circulation, help ease traffic congestion and boost economic activity for downtown businesses," he told EMBARK's news station.
A crowded holiday calendar is exactly that kind of downtown event load, and this is the first one since the fare went away.
The Season, Stop By Stop
The Downtown Loop covers 4.86 miles and 22 stops. It runs along Reno, Hudson, NE 4th, Broadway, NW 11th, NW 10th, Robinson and Sheridan. From the Midtown platform, the stops come in this order: NW 10th Street, Law School, Memorial Museum, Business District, Century Center, Bricktown, Mickey Mantle, East Bricktown, Ballpark, Santa Fe Hub, Arena, Scissortail Park, Myriad Gardens, Library, Transit Center, Federal Courthouse, Broadway Ave, Automobile Alley, Art Park, North Hudson and Dewey Ave. Several of those stops serve the season's anchor events.
| Event | Date | Nearest Downtown Loop stop | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival | Thursday, Nov. 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Mickey Mantle or Ballpark | Free |
| Devon Ice Rink | Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 31, 2027 | Myriad Gardens | $15 with skate rental |
| Lights on Broadway | Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 | Automobile Alley | Free |
| Bricktown Christmas Tree on display | Through New Year's Day | Mickey Mantle or Ballpark | Free |
The Bricktown Canal Lights are also coming back. Downtown OKC Partnership lists them for the November through January window but hasn't yet posted exact dates.
Thursday Night At Mickey Mantle Plaza
The 25th annual Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival, presented by Global Payments, opens the season on Thursday, Nov. 12. It takes place on the Mickey Mantle Plaza at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive. Mayor David Holt counts down to the lighting of the Bricktown Christmas Tree, powered by OG&E, at 6 p.m. The tree stays lit through New Year's Day.
The program is longer than the countdown:
- Photos with Santa Claus, sponsored by Inasmuch Foundation
- A Letters to Santa station from Communication Federal Credit Union, with a North Pole mailbox
- A make-and-take ornament station from OG&E and a life-size Bublee Pop snow globe
- The OKC ThunderBolt, face painting, balloon art and Metropolitan Aerial
- Curbside Chronicle glow accessories and wrapping paper for sale
On stage, emcee Cindy Scarberry introduces The Oklahoma Opry House Band, Ballet Folklorico Yetzali, the Hưng Việt Drum Show and Lion Dancers, Jabee, OKC Ballet, the OKC Thunder Drummers and RACE Dance Collective. The Restaurant Row, presented by Robinson Park, offers free samples from Brickopolis, McNellie's, Harkins Theatre, The Melting Pot, Mickey Mantle Steakhouse, Old Spaghetti Factory and Tiff's Treats. Junction Coffee sells hot chocolate.
The festival page still says a parking receipt gets two people free streetcar rides for 24 hours, a perk left over from when the streetcar charged fares. The ride is free with or without a receipt now. Parking still matters if you're driving in. Street meters are free after 6 p.m., and the Compress lot at 101 SE 2nd St., next to U-Haul, is free for the event. EMBARK garages near the platforms cost $2 an hour or $15 for the day. From Midtown, the Downtown Loop runs on Thursdays and stops at both Mickey Mantle and Ballpark, so it covers the trip there and back.
Two Midtown Mornings That Start At Home
Not every event needs the loop. Two of the season's Midtown events are within walking distance of the neighborhood.
Merry Midtown's Santa Paws comes first, on Sunday, Nov. 22, at Midtown Mutts Dog Park. From 1 to 3 p.m., Santa poses with dogs for free professional photos. An attendant is on hand for DIY shots. If you sign up with your email, the professional photos are emailed to you, and they're also posted on Facebook after the event.
The Saints Santa Run follows on Saturday, Dec. 5, at SSM Health St. Anthony, 535 NW 9th St. The race-day schedule:
- 8:45 a.m.: day-of registration and packet pickup
- 9:45 a.m.: free Kids' Dash for ages 8 and under
- 10 a.m.: 1-Mile Fun Run
- 10:30 a.m.: 5K Run/Walk
- 11:30 a.m.: costume contest
Through RunSignup, registration costs $30 for the mile and $45 for the 5K until Nov. 29 at 11:59 p.m. Central. From Nov. 30 through race day, the prices are $35 and $50. Registered runners get a commemorative T-shirt, a finisher medal and snacks at the finish line. To guarantee a shirt, register by Sunday, Nov. 22, the same day as Santa Paws.
That Saturday is also the first night of Lights on Broadway in Automobile Alley. A morning race near NW 9th and an evening on Broadway can share the same day. The Automobile Alley stop is on the Downtown Loop, and the streetcar runs until 2 a.m. on Saturdays.
The Hours That Matter In December
The Downtown Loop runs 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The shorter Bricktown Loop covers 2 miles and nine stops and runs only Friday through Sunday. From Monday through Thursday, the Downtown Loop is the only streetcar running.
Holiday hours are different. The streetcar runs 6 a.m. to midnight on Christmas Eve, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Day, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on New Year's Eve and 6 a.m. to midnight on New Year's Day. Watch the Christmas Day window most. A late dinner downtown on the 25th means getting home some other way after 7 p.m.
At Devon Ice Rink, the hours fit around the streetcar schedule. Skating runs 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $15 with rental skates, $12 if you bring your own and $10 with a military ID. Gardens members pay $12 with rentals, and a penguin skate assistant rents for $10 an hour. The rink's page points to Myriad Gardens for extended holiday hours.
The new arena is the one wildcard. The city broke ground on Continental Coliseum on March 27, 2026, and it's expected to open in 2028. Construction has stopped the streetcar before. KOCO reported a four-day suspension in February 2026, when a shuttle came every 25 minutes in place of the streetcar. A month-long shutdown in fall 2025 came first, while crews prepared the old Myriad Convention Center for demolition. EMBARK's route guide currently shows no known disruptions, but it's a live page, so check it before heading out on Nov. 12.
Once the tree is lit, Miracle at Social Capital opens at 517 S. Hudson Ave. from Nov. 24 through Dec. 30. The Nutcracker from OKC Ballet follows at Civic Center Music Hall from Dec. 11 to 21.
At Kaiser + Drake Realty, we pay attention to how getting around a neighborhood day to day shapes life there, and a free streetcar every 12 to 15 minutes is part of that in Midtown and Bricktown. If you'd like to talk about which blocks near the Downtown Loop fit the way you want to live, Work with Us. We'll start at the Midtown platform.